Ghosts of the

Western Glades

Discovering the

Just Northwest of

Everglades National

Park lies probably the

wildest, least disturbed

natural area in all of

Florida.

Referred to as the

Western Everglades (or

Western Glades), it

includes Fakahatchee

Strand State Preserve

and Big Cypress

National Preserve.

Environmentalists that

pushed for the creation

of Everglades National

Park originally wanted

this area included in it.

But politics and lack of

funds prevented this.

Several decades passed

before Big Cypress National

Preserve was born in 1974.

Preserves have slightly less

restrictive rules than

national parks.

Even though both habitats have many similarities

(sawgrass prairies & tree islands, for instance), the Big

Cypress Swamp is generally 1-2 feet higher in elevation.

So how is the Big Cypress Swamp

distinct from the Everglades?

Also, it has a mainly southwesterly flow of water,

dumping into the “ten thousand islands” area on

Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coast and serving as an

important watershed for the River of Grass to the south.

Then, of course, there are the cypress trees.

Cypress Trees

Not surprisingly, of course, is

the fact that the Big Cypress

Swamp has about 1/3 of its

area covered in cypress trees.

Mostly they are the small

“dwarf pond cypress” trees.

(“Big” refers to the large mass

of land not the size of the

trees.)

A few locations, however, still

do boast the impressive

towering “bald cypress” trees

but most of those were logged

out between the years 1913 -

1948.

Topography simply means the relief (or elevation variances)

of any particular area of land.

Water moving very slowly over peat soil where there is a

very gradual incline can create what is called ridge & slough

topography.

The Western Glades is just such an area.

Ridge & Slough Topography

Ridges

Tree islands and areas of higher land are

called “ridges.”

Most of the time the ridges are fairly free of water and so

more conducive to permanent plant growth.

Pine Flatwoods

Pine flatwoods are

dominated by Florida slash

pine and saw palmetto and

are home to a variety of

animals. This is an ideal

habitat for the pileated

woodpecker, the Big Cypress

fox squirrel, the endangered

indigo snake and many

others.

The Florida slash pine has

adapted to be very drought

and fire-resistant. Fires from

lightning strikes are common

natural occurrences and can

actually keep the habitat

healthy.

Hardwood Hammocks

Hardwood hammocks form

on elevated ground, with a

diverse community of broad-

leafed trees like oaks and

maples, as well as cabbage

palms and saw palmetto.

The dense canopy means

lots of shade and sparse

undergrowth. It also keeps

the forest cool and humid.

Hammocks are favorite

habitats for Florida’s two

cats: The bobcat and the

Florida Panther.

Sloughs

In ridge & slough topography

a pattern of high and low

land levels can be clearly

seen. In the lows (called

sloughs) slow flowing water

almost always exists,

perhaps drying out

completely only once every

10 years or so.

Sloughs are generally from 1

to 3 feet lower than the

adjacent land.

Most sloughs have a width of

roughly 100- 500 feet and

can be miles long.

Cypress Strands and Cypress Domes

“Strands” form around the

long, narrow sloughs. Here

the limestone has eroded

away and filled with organic

soil which has been

deposited over time. This

allows larger swamp trees to

grown up in it.

The Fakahatchee Strand is

the world’s longest cypress

strand swamp, stretching

approximately 25 miles long

by about 5 miles wide.

Strand swamps tend

to be dominated by

temperate swamp

trees like pond

cypress, bald

cypress and pop

ash.

The strand swamps of South Florida and the

Western Everglades, however, are often also

populated with tropical swamp trees like the

pond apple.

Cypress “dome” habitats

are similar to strands

except that instead of

forming along linear

sloughs, they form

around isolated ponds.

Many of these ponds are

excavated by alligators

and are important oasis

during the dry season.

Larger cypress trees usually grow in the deeper water

towards the center of the pond where the muck layer is

also deeper, providing the larger trees with more nutrients.

Because the larger trees are usually towards the center,

the profile of the cypress dome is usually dome shaped.

The Fakahatchee Strand

The Fakahatchee

Strand, now its own

separate “State”

Preserve, is actually

considered the

largest and most

interesting of The

Big Cypress Swamp’s

strand environments.

Fakahatchee Strand is perhaps the best place in the whole

Western Glades to capture why this habitat is so critical….

And, not to mention, so “ghostly!”

….For here exists a myriad of rare plants and

animals…from the illusive “ghost orchid” and many other

exotic epiphytes to the endangered Florida panther,

Everglades mink, mangrove fox squirrel, Florida black

bear and more.

Cypress Domes and Cypress Strands

Video adventure

Quiz- T&F

1. National parks have more restrictions for visitors than national preserves do. True

2. The Big Cypress Swamp is a national park not a national preserve. False

3. “Bald cypress” trees never grow to great heights. False

4. The Fakahatchee Strand is the world’s longest cypress strand swamp at roughly 25 miles long. True

5. The rare “ghost orchid” is an epiphyte. True

Epiphytes

The word “epiphyte” is used to

describe a plant that grows upon other

plants (like a larger tree) without

necessarily harming its host plant.

Epiphytes are often called “air plants”

because they obtain their moisture from

the air or from rain that collects on the

surface of the host plant.

They are also

“autotrophs”

that rely on

photosynthesis

for energy.

Epiphytes are most common in temperate and

especially tropical climates where there is an

abundance of rain and humid air. By growing up

in the tree canopy, they can more easily reach

the light that bleeds through the thick canopy.

In swampy habitats like the cypress strand,

epiphytic plants have an advantage over other

small terrestrial plants like grasses and shrubs

which would drown in the water below.

The word “epiphyte” does not describe a family

of related plants. In fact there are species of

plants from every major group in the plant

kingdom that are epiphytic. Many mosses, ferns

and flowering plants such as orchids and

bromeliads are epiphytes.

Resurrection fern Cardinal airplantGhost orchid

The Fakahatchee Strand is famous for its

orchids (or plants belonging to the family

Orchidaceae) and is home to 44 native

species, many of which are epiphytic and

most of which are rare or endangered.

This makes the Fakahatchee the orchid

capital of North America!

The Fakahatchee is also home to 14 species

of bromeliads. Epiphytic bromeliads like the

endangered guzmania have tightly wrapped

leaves which become little reservoirs for

collecting rainwater.

These reservoirs are

miniature habitats for other

life, such as frogs. They are

also ideal breeding grounds

for mosquitoes.

A true epiphyte uses its host plant only

for physical support, not for nutrition.

Mistletoe can also be found living atop

trees in the Western Everglades, however

it is NOT considered to be an epiphyte. It

is instead considered to be a “parasite”

because it harms its host tree by

penetrating its branches to absorb

nutrients and water.

The Ghost Orchid

Dendrophylax lindenii

The ghost

orchid is a

beautiful

perennial

epiphyte

which means

that it lives

for more than

just one year.

Ghost orchids prefer to grow on two particular

trees: Pond apple and Pop ash

Pop ashPond Apple

The ghost orchid has

no leaves, but its mass

of green roots contain

chloroplasts where

photosynthesis occurs.

Also, on the green roots are “track

marks” which are really

pneumatodes which are openings

for gas exchange.

Each year a varied

number of flowers

bloom on each

orchid arising from

spikes that grow up

from the mass of

roots.

After blooming, a

seed pod develops

in which thousands

of dust-like seeds

mature and are then

released into the air.

Geographic Range

Ghost orchids were

first discovered by

Jean Jules Linden in

Cuba in 1844. They

occur, also, in Florida,

Haiti and several

other Caribbean

Islands.

They are endangered in the wild, and thus it is

illegal to collect them.

Pollination

The Ghost Orchid has

a fascinating

connection with the

Giant Sphinx moth.

The moth’s larva feed

mainly on pond apple

leaves.

The adult moth is the only insect that pollinates the Ghost

Orchid, probably because it is the only insect with a long

enough proboscis to reach far enough into the orchid’s

long nectar spur.

The “Super Ghost”

In July of 2007 an

exceptional Ghost Orchid

plant was discovered 45

feet high deep in the

swamps of the Western

Everglades.

In Corkscrew Swamp

Sanctuary this orchid

has continued to thrive.

It has been known to

produce 15 or more

blooms at a time.

Many of the world’s orchids have been harvested

to near extinction by collectors. In the Western

Everglades, poaching has been a problem since

the early 1900’s.

Orchid Restoration

To make matters worse, orchids are notoriously

difficult to grow. Many require very specific

environmental conditions and special trees to

grow on. From the early 1900’s through the

1950’s, the old-growth cypress strands of the Big

Cypress and the Fakahatchee were plundered for

their valuable lumber.

Fortunately, new restoration initiatives are

helping some of our rarest species spring back

from the brink of extinction.

The Orchid Keepers

Video Adventure

Quiz

1.Which is not true about epiphytes? a) They always harm their host.b) They are autotrophs.c) They are often called “air plants.”d) Epiphytes include some species from every major group in the

plant kingdom.

1.The Fakahatchee Strand is called the (what) capital of North America?

a) Snakeb) Mosquitoc) Fernd) Orchid

Quiz

3. Which is not true about mistletoe? a) It is a parasite.b) It is an epiphyte.c) It absorbs nutrients from its host.d) It is found in the Western Glades.

4. Which is not true about the “ghost orchid?”

a) It is pollinated by the Giant Sphinx moth.b) It grows on pond apple trees.c) It is an annual plant, dying after one year.d) Photosynthesis happens on its roots.

The Everglades Mink

The Everglades mink (Neovison

vison evergladensis) is a mid-

sized member of the weasel

family. This carnivore lives in

the marshes and swamps of the

Fakahatchee Strand, the Big

Cypress Swamp and Southern

portions of the Everglades.

With as few as 40 in the wild, it may well be the rarest

mammal in Florida.

Elusive Mammals of the

Western Everglades

The Florida Black Bear

The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus

floridanus) is a subspecies of the American Black

Bear with a historical range through all of Florida

as well as southern Alabama, Georgia and

Mississippi. It is Florida’s largest land mammal.

The black bear is an omnivore

that feeds mostly on vegetative

materials, although they also

eat insects and insect larvae

and will occasionally take larger

animals like white-tailed deer

and feral pigs. Though once

threatened, the Florida black

bear now numbers around 3000

individuals.

The Bobcat

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a medium-sized member of the

cat family and can be found throughout most of the United

States. It’s habitat is quite varied, but in Florida it prefers

woodland habitats like the hardwood hammock where it can

most often be found lounging in the canopy during the day.

This mostly nocturnal

predator is elusive but quite

common in Florida. It feeds

primarily on small mammals

and birds and is an important

pest controller. The bobcat is

known to occasionally take

larger prey like white-tailed

deer.

Prowling for Panthers

Video Adventure

The Mysteries of Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is a biological process by which

an animal physically develops after birth or

hatching, involving an obvious and swift change

in the animal's body structure.

Various species of insects, amphibians, fish, mollusks

and other animal groups undergo metamorphosis during

different stages of their life-cycles.

Complete Metamorphosis: The Mosquito

Video Adventure

Incomplete Metamorphosis: The Dragonfly

Video Adventure

For the Love of Spiders!

The Amazing Courtship of Orb-weavers

Video Adventure

Quiz- T&F

1. The Everglades mink is an extremely rare carnivore in the weasel family. True

2. The Florida black bear is an endangered carnivorous mammal found only in Florida. False

3. The bobcat is a mainly nocturnal predator and is common True

4. The mosquito is an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis. True

5. The dragonfly is an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. True